Next Stop: Nursing ENewsletters

May 2007 Next Stop: Nursing

In the nearly two years since Teri Mills, MS, RN, ANP, CNE, expressed her thoughts about creating an Office of the National Nurse, nurses and legislators have continuously offered their support for her cause.Read more

Next Stop: Nursing scans the latest medical and nursing journals to provide you with the most up-to-date clinical content available.

One-fifth of children age 0 to 2 and more than one-third of children age 3 to 6 have a television in their bedroom, reports a study in Pediatrics that describes the media saturation among American youth.

With health care leaders from the World Health Organization, the Joint Commission and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) emphasizing the importance of proper hand hygiene, here's one more reason why you should wash your hands before and after visiting each and every patient.

The recent arrival of spring means one thing: Summer is on its way. As students everywhere prepare for a season without school, externship, employment and volunteer prospects abound, offering the ability to keep nursing skills fresh while away from the classroom.

Barbara Drew, Ph.D., APRN, BC, is the president of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association and an associate professor in the College of Nursing at Kent State University, in Kent, Ohio. She offers her advice for student nurses interested in a career in psychiatric nursing.

Each month, Next Stop: Nursing features sample questions from the NCLEX-RN, provided by our partner The College Network.

Question: A nurse is providing discharge teaching to a client who has a prescription for prednisone (Deltasone). Which of these statements should the nurse include?

A. Change your position slowly.
B. Report any signs of drowsiness.
C. Take your medicine first thing in the morning.
D. Increase your intake of fluids.

Question: When assessing a patient who has a chest tube connected to a closed chest drainage after lobectomy, a nurse observes constant bubbling in the water seal chamber and the chest tube appears to be slipping out of the chest. Which of these actions should the nurse take first?

A. Report these findings to the doctor.
B. Build up the chest dressing around the tube.
C. Attach two clamps to the chest tube.
D. Assess the patient for any signs of respiratory compromise.

Therese Richmond, Ph.D., FAAN, CRNP, an associate professor of nursing at the University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia, recently received the university's Undergraduate Advising Award, an award presented to a nursing school faculty member who excels in advising the school's undergraduates.

According to the university's journal, Penn Almanac, her award was bestowed upon her because she is "dedicated to the academic and personal development of her advisees and encourages her students to pursue areas of study about which they are most passionate."

For Richmond, encouraging her students is simply part and parcel of her chosen profession.

"Our undergraduate students at Penn Nursing are so smart and committed," she said. "Most importantly they are the future of our profession. Every time I meet with my advisees I am left with the very clear belief that the profession of nursing has a brilliant future."

Asked to offer a key piece of advice to nursing's future, Richmond replied: "I believe it is important that students find their passion and carve out their own path. There are so many career paths open to nurses-by combining passion, knowledge and caring, nurses can be anyone and do anything they want. The future for new nurses and the opportunities are limitless."

To nominate an exceptional nursing faculty member from your school, please send an e-mail with your name, the faculty member's name, your school and the reasons for your nomination to Christina.Orlovsky@nursezone.com.